Union Declares Strike at Portuguese Airports: Menzies Aviation Faces Criticism Over Handling of Dispute
SINDICATO DOS TRABALHADORES DOS TRANSPORTES DE PORTUGAL
Rua dos Vanzeleres 269 – 3 – 4100-484 Porto – 226096629 / 917950275 – geral@sttamp.org
www.sttamp.org
PRESS RELEASE
Following the strike notice issued by the Union – STTAMP – Sindicato dos Trabalhadores dos Transportes de Portugal regarding major Portuguese airport handling company – SPdH – Serviços Portugueses de Handling, SA, managed by the largest shareholder Menzies Aviation which will take place on 31 August and 1 September, we are issuing this press release to inform you of the expected disruption to flight handling operations to, from or with a stopover at all Portuguese airports.
On the 26 August, the Arbitration Court hearing was held to define the minimum services for the announced strike.
Yesterday, the Union’s services received the decision that was handed down, which is set out below.
IV – DECISION
In view of the above, the Arbitral Tribunal unanimously decides to define the minimum services to be complied with during the strike declared ‘Strike for the period between 00:00 on 31 August and 24:00 on 1 September 2024, in the terms set out below:
a) For all flights imposed by critical situations relating to the safety of people and property, including ambulance flights, emergency movements understood as declared flight situations, namely for technical or meteorological reasons and others which, by their nature, make flight assistance absolutely unavoidable;
b) For all military flights;
c) For all state flights, national or foreign;
d) For all flights which, at the time the strike began, were already underway according to their initial planning, and whose destination are national airports assisted by SPDH.
e) On both days – 31 August and 1 September 2024 – for the Azores, work must be provided to guarantee the first landing and take-off on the route between the mainland and the region, and for Madeira, the work required for the first landing and take-off between the mainland and the region must also be guaranteed. Madeira must also be guaranteed the necessary labour for the first landing and take-off between this region and the mainland, as well as the provision of labour for the first landing and take-off of the flight between the islands, specifically between Funchal and Porto Santo;
f) The trade unions must designate the workers needed to ensure the minimum services defined above no later than 48 hours before the start of the strike period, and SPdH – Serviços Portugueses de Handling, S.A. must do so if it is not informed of this designation in good time,
The use of strike workers is only legal if these minimum services cannot be provided by non-striking workers under normal working conditions.
The Union in line with its responsibility to inform and in solidarity with all passengers scheduled to travel on these days who may be affected by this stoppage, STTAMP would like to inform you that it regrets that it has been necessary to reach this point, despite the fact that it has tried in every way to find solutions with the company that would avoid this outcome, and has never shied away from dialogue.
It will be up to Menzies Aviation’s management to take full responsibility for this stoppage, because at no time did they present any alternative or proposal that could have prevented the strike.
28.08.2024
